Things to do in Northern Ireland: Visit Old Bushmills, home of Irish Whiskey

Irish whiskey. It is difficult to explain to the uninitiated the pleasures of this smooth amber fluid. James Joyce wrote of “the light music of whiskey falling into a glass-an agreeable interlude.” An old Irish toast gets straight to the point: “Too much of anything is good for nothing. Too much whiskey is barely enough.” Amen.

Like many others before, I am making the pilgrimage to the place where it all began. Amid the green fields on Northern Ireland’s County Antrim coast near the world famous Giant’s Causeway, where the winds blow and the water is clean and pure, is a small town that is home to “Old Bushmills” — the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. In 2008 it celebrated it 400th birthday and behind that milestone is a tale of ingenuity, craftsmanship and a quest to perfect the art of distilling.

Here, inside the distillery on this cool September day, I join a small group on a guided tour to learn more about Bushmills Irish whiskey.

“We get visitors from all over the world taking a Bushmills tour, but a group of women from the south is the best crack,” says our guide, literally walking and talking us through the whiskey-making process, one that takes malted barley, grinds it up into a mash with water and then distils it before putting it in casks to mature.

Old Bushmills â the home of Irish whiskey.Paul Marshall /
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Whiskey drinkers worldwide can thank a band of Irish monks for their favourite tipple, who in the 6th century brought back from the Middle East, the “alembic” used to distil perfumes, but soon adapted it to a more recreational use in the creation of the still. By distilling the essence of barley they created a golden spirit,” Aqua Vitae” — The Water of Life, or in Gaelic, “Uisce Beatha.”

“Many people confuse Irish whiskey with Scotch,” says our guide inside the Malt House. While the Scots roast their barley over open peat fires (which gives Scotch its distinctive smoky taste) and distil it only twice, the Irish roast their barley in closed kilns and distil it three times.

Our guide also points out that the Irish spell whiskey with an “e.” No one quite knows why, but they’re sticking with it, and they did invent it after all. Their version, like their accent is gentler and more beguiling.

Gallery: Old Bushmills in Ireland

The Giant's Causeway near Old Bushmills is a UNESCO site. Photo credit: Paul Marshall

A road sign points to some of the attractions along the Causeway Coast. Photo credit: Paul Marshall

Giant's Causeway. Photo credit: Paul Marshall

'Try some Bushmills whiskey with your porridge' at breakfast when you stay at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle. Photo credit: Paul Marshall

Old Bushmills - the home of Irish whiskey. NORTHERN IRELAND. One Time Use Only. Historic Dunluce Castle along the Causeway Coast is only a stoneís throw from Old Bushmills and is well worth a visit. Photo credit: Paul Marshall . [PNG Merlin Archive]

The special water from Saint Columbís Rill, a tributary of the River Bush, which runs beside the distillery, is one of the natural raw materials needed to produce Irish Malt Whiskey. Photo credit: Paul Marshall

Inside the stillroom, the ëcut offí point of the pure spirit is a closely guarded secret and kept under lock and key. Photo credit: Paul Marshall

Historic Dunluce Castle along the Causeway Coast is only a stoneís throw from Bushmills and well worth a visit. Photo credit: Paul Marshall

Old Bushmills - the home of Irish whiskey. Photo credit: Paul Marshall

Old Bushmills - the home of Irish whiskey. Photo credit: Paul Marshall

Old Bushmills - the home of Irish whiskey. Photo credit: Paul Marshall

The heart of the whiskey-making process is the stillroom. Inside, its around 25 degrees and the atmosphere is thick with alcohol. As we arrive, the still-man is busy at work testing for quality among the traditional copper stills. The principle behind distillation is simple, to separate alcohol from water. At a precise moment the still-man collects the pure spirit. “The cut off point is a trade secret,” he says with a grin.

Old Bushmills has stood the test of time and survived a combination of calamities over the centuries including a disastrous fire in 1885 that destroyed most of the distillery (it now has it’s own on-site fire engine) and prohibition in America in 1919 where bootleggers passed off inferior liquor, labelled as Irish Whiskey, thus destroying the good reputation of the genuine article.

Old copper stills inside the ‘still room,’ the heart of the whiskey-making process.Paul Marshall /
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The oak casks in which the Irish whiskey matures are those once used for bourbon, sherry or port, which helps provide not only the whiskey’s colour but also its flavour. Casks may remain undisturbed for up to 25 years. In the process of maturation, a portion is lost. This is known as the “angels’ share.”

After visiting the bottling section and its mind-boggling technology, our guide announces that there will be a taste test in the distillery bar. It is here that we learn the proper way to drink Irish whiskey. The experienced whiskey drinker will often say: “If you want to drink whiskey you drink whiskey. If you want to drink water, you drink water. You never mix the two.” An old copper still dominates the bar and it’s fascinating to check out the old black-and-white photos, newspaper clippings and memorabilia adorning the walls.

Various whiskies inside the distillery bar, ready for a taste test at the end of a tour.Paul Marshall /
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No Northern Ireland whiskey experience is complete without a visit to one or two local pubs. Well worth a visit is the Bushmills Inn where you can enjoy a glass of 25-year-old Bushmills Malt from the inn’s private cask by the cosy glow of an open turf fire. Other watering holes in the village to enjoy a whiskey include: The Scotch House Bushmills, The Bush House and Distillers Arms. All the surrounding seaside towns of Portrush, Portstewart and Ballycastle have their own characterful bars where you will inevitably fall under the spell of the great Irish welcome while imbibing a dose of liquid cashmere — smooth Irish whiskey. Just remember one thing — don’t call it Scotch.

Other attractions near Old Bushmills

Legend has it, that Northern Ireland’s only World Heritage Site – the spectacular Giant’s Causeway, made up of thousands of hexagonal pillars that climb out of the Atlantic Ocean was created by Finn MacCool, an Irish giant that lived along the Antrim Coast. The logical and less romantic version is that about 60 million years ago there was intense volcanic activity along the coast, after which the lava cooled very quickly.

Giant’s Causeway.Paul Marshall /
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The uneven cooling rate resulted in the basalt contracting into the characteristic hexagonal and octagonal pillar shapes you can see today. The Giant’s Causeway may be the star of the Causeway Coast, but other attractions include the stunning Carrick-a-Rede swinging rope bridge that spans a gaping chasm between the coast and a small island used by fishermen and the haunting ruins of 16th-century Dunluce Castle perched precariously on the edge of a rocky headland.

Classic whiskies from Old Bushmills

• The Original Bushmills Irish Whiskey: A delicate blend aged in oak casks. It has a fragrant maltiness with sweet, spicy and toasted woodnotes, a delicate flavour and a distinct smoothness with a slightly dry finish.

• Black Bush: Made from Irish Malt Whiskey aged for several years is a special selection of Oloroso Sherry casks and a small quantity of well-aged Grain Whiskey. It has a full-bodied aroma; full of character, with fruity, spicy, malty and nutty sweet sherry flavours all intermingling.

• Bushmills 1608 Special Reserve 12-year-old: This is a limited edition blending of Irish Malt Whiskey and Grain Whiskey aged for a minimum of 12 years. It has a rich strong malty character with fruity, spicy, woody and sweet nutty undertones derived from maturation in Oloroso Sherry casks. A delightful smoothness and velvety mouth feel.

If you go…

Old Bushmills is situated near the County Antrim coast about an hour’s drive north from Belfast. For more information and guided tour details visit the website: www.bushmills.com

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